California Bays and Estuaries Policy
Encyclopedia
The Water Quality Control Policy for the Enclosed Bays and Estuaries of California is published by the California State Water Resources Control Board
as guidelines to prevent water quality degradation. The policy is revised as needed.
has few natural harbor
s in comparison to similar lengths of the Atlantic coast of the United States
. Humboldt Bay
, Bodega Harbor
, Tomales Bay
, Drakes Estero
, San Francisco Bay
, Morro Bay, Los Angeles
- Long Beach Harbor, Upper Newport Bay
, Newport Back Bay
, Mission Bay, and San Diego Bay
are identified by the policy. The policy also applies to smaller areas of ocean water within headland
s or harbor works when the distance between those features is less than 75 percent of the greatest dimension of the enclosed portion.
Mixing zones for fresh and ocean waters at the mouths of the Smith River
, Klamath River
, Mad River
, Eel River
, Noyo River
, Russian River
, and Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta are identified as estuaries. The policy also applies to coastal lagoon
s and mouths of streams temporarily separated from the ocean by sandbars.
The sheltering features making harbors favorable for ocean transportation cargo transfer limit mixing and dilution through surf
action and ocean current
s.
settlement of California; and cities have developed adjacent to the larger ones. Unique aquatic ecosystems of limited geographical extent have been impacted by waste disposal practices. The Bays and Estuaries Policy adopted on 16 May 1974 concluded discharges of municipal wastewater
and industrial process water should only be allowed when such discharges enhance the quality of the bay or estuary. Exceptions were made for San Francisco Bay and for cooling water discharges at other locations. The policy was revised 16 November 1995.
California State Water Resources Control Board
The California State Water Resources Control Board is one of five branches of the California Environmental Protection Agency.-History:...
as guidelines to prevent water quality degradation. The policy is revised as needed.
Geography
The Pacific coast of CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
has few natural harbor
Harbor
A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...
s in comparison to similar lengths of the Atlantic coast of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay is a natural bay and a multi-basin, bar-built coastal lagoon located on the rugged North Coast of California, United States entirely within Humboldt County. The regional center and county seat of Eureka and the college town of Arcata adjoin the bay, which is the second largest enclosed...
, Bodega Harbor
Bodega Harbor
Bodega Harbor is a small shallow natural harbor on the Pacific coast of northern California in the United States, approximately 40 mi northwest of San Francisco...
, Tomales Bay
Tomales Bay
Tomales Bay is a long narrow inlet of the Pacific Ocean in Marin County in northern California in the United States. It is approximately 15 miles long and averages nearly 1.0 miles wide, effectively separating the Point Reyes Peninsula from the mainland of Marin County. It is located...
, Drakes Estero
Drakes Estero
Drakes Estero is an expansive estuary in Marin County on the Pacific coast of northern California in the United States, approximately northwest of San Francisco.Located at , the estuary provides the main drainage for the Point Reyes peninsula...
, San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
, Morro Bay, Los Angeles
Port of Los Angeles
The Port of Los Angeles, also called Los Angeles Harbor and WORLDPORT L.A, is a port complex that occupies of land and water along of waterfront. The port is located on San Pedro Bay in the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles, approximately south of downtown...
- Long Beach Harbor, Upper Newport Bay
Upper Newport Bay
The Upper Newport Bay is a large coastal wetland in Southern California and a major stopover for birds. Dozens of species, including endangered ones, can be observed here. Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve and Ecological Reserve represent approximately 1,000 acres of open space...
, Newport Back Bay
Newport Back Bay
The Back Bay is the colloquial term for the inland delta in Newport Beach, California. It connects the Upper Newport Bay with the Newport Harbor. It is a nature reserve home to several species of birds with hiking and biking trails...
, Mission Bay, and San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km–3 mi/4.8 km wide...
are identified by the policy. The policy also applies to smaller areas of ocean water within headland
Headland
A headland is a point of land, usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends out into a body of water.Headland can also refer to:*Headlands and bays*headLand, an Australian television series...
s or harbor works when the distance between those features is less than 75 percent of the greatest dimension of the enclosed portion.
Mixing zones for fresh and ocean waters at the mouths of the Smith River
Smith River (California)
The Smith River is a river on the Pacific coast of northern California in the United States, approximately long. It drains a rugged area of the Pacific Coast Ranges west of the Siskiyou Mountains just south of the Oregon border and north of the watershed of the Klamath River. The catchment area is...
, Klamath River
Klamath River
The Klamath River is an American river that flows southwest through Oregon and northern California, cutting through the Cascade Range to empty into the Pacific Ocean. The river drains an extensive watershed of almost that stretches from the high desert country of the Great Basin to the temperate...
, Mad River
Mad River (California)
The Mad River is a river in upper Northern California. It flows for in a roughly northwest direction through Trinity County and then Humboldt County, draining a watershed into the Pacific Ocean north of the college town of Arcata near Arcata-Eureka Airport in McKinleyville...
, Eel River
Eel River (California)
The Eel River is a major river system of the northern Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. Approximately 200 miles long, it drains a rugged area in the California Coast Ranges between the Sacramento Valley and the ocean. For most of its course, the river flows northwest, parallel to the...
, Noyo River
Noyo River
The Noyo River is a river on the north coast of California in Mendocino County. The river's headwaters are in the steep Mendocino Range, but downstream the river flows through gently sloping marine terraces before draining into the Pacific Ocean...
, Russian River
Russian River (California)
The Russian River, a southward-flowing river, drains of Sonoma and Mendocino counties in Northern California. With an annual average discharge of approximately , it is the second largest river flowing through the nine county Greater San Francisco Bay Area with a mainstem 110 miles ...
, and Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta are identified as estuaries. The policy also applies to coastal lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
s and mouths of streams temporarily separated from the ocean by sandbars.
The sheltering features making harbors favorable for ocean transportation cargo transfer limit mixing and dilution through surf
Surf
Surf is the wave activity in the area between the shoreline and outer limit of breakers. It may refer to a breaking wave in shallow water, upon the shore, or in the area in which waves breakSurf also may refer to:Commercial products...
action and ocean current
Ocean current
An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of ocean water generated by the forces acting upon this mean flow, such as breaking waves, wind, Coriolis effect, cabbeling, temperature and salinity differences and tides caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun...
s.
History
Harbors were important foci of early European AmericanEuropean American
A European American is a citizen or resident of the United States who has origins in any of the original peoples of Europe...
settlement of California; and cities have developed adjacent to the larger ones. Unique aquatic ecosystems of limited geographical extent have been impacted by waste disposal practices. The Bays and Estuaries Policy adopted on 16 May 1974 concluded discharges of municipal wastewater
Wastewater
Wastewater is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence. It comprises liquid waste discharged by domestic residences, commercial properties, industry, and/or agriculture and can encompass a wide range of potential contaminants and concentrations...
and industrial process water should only be allowed when such discharges enhance the quality of the bay or estuary. Exceptions were made for San Francisco Bay and for cooling water discharges at other locations. The policy was revised 16 November 1995.